To See Far Beyond
by KylaBosch
Summary: At four years of age Jaime could not comprehend the words of wisdom that his mother had bestowed upon him. Years later, through the eyes of a most unexpected person he thinks he may finally understand. Jaime!centric with hints of Brienne/Jaime


**Author's Note:** This was written for **zsra187** who once requested a Jaime/Brienne tale that is set before they met, but that foreshadows their meeting and relationship and what they will eventually mean to each other. I'm not sure if I've come even close to the mark with this but I couldn't resist trying my hand at it.

**Disclaimer:** Sadly none of it is mine, not even two lines I've used from the book because the tale centers around that scene. They all belong to the mighty GRRM! Also the mention of the tale 'The Cat and The Knight' originally came from the French Fairy tale The White Cat written by COMTESSE D'AULNOY  
**Beta:** A huge thank you to **onborrowedwings** for beta reading this for me!

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Of all the fairy tales that Mother liked to read to Jaime at bedtime, only one had stood out from the rest in his mind; the tale of the Cat and the Knight. It was a typical sort of tale, filled with the adventures of a noble knight and ending with him saving a beautiful maid from a horrible fate. It was considered the southron version of the Dog and the Maiden, or so Mother claimed. The northern version of the fable was far darker, less suited for children and filled with the terrors of winter.

It was not precisely the idea of a knight falling for a princess that was disguised as a feline that had both confused and intrigued him. Rather it was the notion of how the knight knew there was a princess buried, hidden beneath the cat's silken fur. How he could come to love her, despite her obviously unattractive appearance. Cats though beautiful, were still only cats. Yet the hero had come to love the cat despite her lack of human beauty, so much so that he was willing to sacrifice it all in order to free her. Curious about the notion, the young boy once asked his mother just what it was that made the knight come to love the cat.

'How could the knight ever love the princess without knowing that she was a girl trapped in the body of a cat?' he asked in dismay. His mother smiled as she brushed back a lock of blonde hair that had fallen into his eyes. He never forgot her smile, the way it would light up her face. His twin sister, Cersei, once claimed even Father could not say _no_to their mother whenever she gave him that smile.

'Because in her eyes of blue, his heart had seen the truth, and that truth set them free,' she gently answered. 'Through your eyes you may see the world. With your heart you can see far beyond,' she assured her son. At four years of age, Jaime knew not what his mother spoke of. Confused, he stared up at his mother in silence waiting for the answer or at the very least an explanation.

Kissing his brow she tucked him into bed and gave him another beautiful smile. 'Sleep now, little one, and trouble yourself no further. In time you will understand, and when you do, you will know.'

Many years later, Jaime stood in the Lord Commander's chambers of the White Sword Tower, staring at the biggest and most homely woman he had ever known. She was also the only person in the world he could trust; the only one he could almost call a friend. Brienne of Tarth was her name, or Brienne the Beauty as some liked to mock. In silence she stood; towering, all muscle and bone, clad in a gown of blue. Then her sapphire blue eyes met his gaze and for the briefest moment, Jaime was reminded of a tale he once thought had been long since forgotten.

'Blue is a good colour on you, My Lady,' Jaime quickly observed. 'It goes well with your eyes.' _She does have astonishing eyes._At that thought a strange feeling crept into the pit of his stomach as the memory of his mother's words whispered in his thoughts.

_ Through your eyes you may see the world. With your heart you can see far beyond… In time you will understand, and when you do, you will know._

Suddenly, he saw clearly what he could not before. As though sensing his unexpected revelation, Brienne shyly glanced down at herself, clearly flustered by the sincerity of his compliment.

At that moment, Jaime knew he could never look back.


End file.
